


droplets of molten gold

by YukinaMika



Series: 2020 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham Academy (Comics), Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, And they do homework together?, F/M, Tim and Mari have a very friendly rivalry, Why write salt when I can write Mari being happy and loved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22487917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukinaMika/pseuds/YukinaMika
Summary: Marinette somehow got herself into a partnership and a rivalry with the same person on her first day at school.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593016
Comments: 11
Kudos: 252
Collections: Maribat





	droplets of molten gold

When her first wand snapped under the hands of those she once called friends, her parents had decided that enough was enough. They had been appalled the moment they learned about the chains of misfortunes their daughter faced at the hands of those who were supposed to be her friends and the news of their daughter's elegant pear wood wand snapping had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

A new wand, made from willow, and a new school, were what they had decided. Marinette did not disagree with her parents' decision.

Leaving Beauxbatons for Hogwarts was quite an experience. It was a worthy sacrifice for the peace and lack of drama.

The sorting hat did freak her out at first. Anyone would be, if they met a hat that was capable of talking. And apparently, they had houses in Hogwarts and students put on a talking hat to decide where they would go.

Sure, why not? She had seen weirder things.

Marinette, once again, found herself in blue. The hat took a look into her head, giving speeches about how everything would be confidential like it - the hat was a living thing, perhaps, she tried not to dwell too much on such things - was a therapist, and told her that she would do well in Ravenclaw.

Personally, Marinette thought she would look fetching in red but the hat had crossed Gryffindor off the list. Shame.

_You value justice,_ it had murmured in her mind. _Chivalrous, too but you might not do well in the midst of the lions._

_Everyone has a bit of four houses inside them,_ the hat had explained. _You care for justice and your bravery will always shine bright in the darkest hour. Your heart bleeds easily and you speak of undying loyalty to those who are dear to you. However, your mind is your greatest weapon._

Marinette had always been told that she was a bright child. Smart and practical in the ways she approached problems and creative in her solutions.

_With a mind like yours, either Slytherin or Ravenclaw would gladly welcome you,_ the hat had said. _You take to leadership like a fish to water and you might one day grow to be a great leader under the guidance of Salazar Slytherin._

_Yeah, no,_ had been her answer. _I have had enough of leaderships. I just want peace and quiet._

And well, the hat had decided that she would do well in Ravenclaw.

* * *

Marinette preferred pink or red. Her uniforms, however, were black and blue with silver lines.

They were baggy and she probably looked like a toddler swaddled in a comfortable blanket. From the coos and gushing of her housemates when the head of their house introduced her, she must look either ridiculous or adorable and she did not dwell much on that except toying with the fact that they would underestimate her with this disastrous first meeting.

Well at least that was what she thought.

Marinette had not thought of being lost in a huge castle. She had not thought that she would be late to the first period.

Two words. _Moving. Stairs._

She needed to be at the dungeons for Potions but she had neither idea where it was nor how to get there. All she had done was stepping on the stairs and whoops, she was in some strange section that she was sure that students were not allowed to be in.

Nothing would have prepared her for a sudden hand clamping on her shoulder.

She whirled around, adrenaline thrumming through her veins. Her hand, as fast as a viper, reached for her wand and a grip, strong as steel, closed around her wrist.

"Hey, hey," a voice, warm and curious, sounded. "Calm down."

Her eyes met the bluest gaze, like the depths of the ocean, like standing at the edge and staring at the unknown darkness. She had never been able to understand the phrase 'lost in one's eyes' until that moment.

The sea was large and mysterious and it was to no one's wonder that one could be lost at sea. With eyes that reflected the ocean with its the endless trove of secrets, 'lost in one's eyes' was the correct phrase to describe the things happening to her.

"Miss," the pretty face of that boy, a housemate by the colors of his robes, creased in what, confusion or anger? "Are you, perhaps, lost?"

She gave a muted nod, biting back the _'lost in your eyes'_ part. It was a terrible pick-up line and she refused to subject herself or this pretty boy to it.

She was sure that her face was red and he seemed to enjoy it with the glint of amusement in his eyes and the twitching of his lips. He did not comment on it and neither did she.

"I'm heading to the dungeon," he informed, a quirk of his eyebrow and she got a clear view of his very cute dimples. "Want to go together?"

* * *

His name was Tim Drake and he was also a fourth year and they were the last to get to the dungeon for Potions.

It costed their house a total of thirty points – fifteen per person for coming to class late – and just half an hour into the period, Drake earned twenty points for getting an answer right for a question about polyjuice and seeing as they were partners, that pushed Marinette’s more competitive side and brought back fifteen points for her right answer in how to brew a strengthening potion.

By the end of the day, they had come to a begrudging partnership and a good-natured rivalry formed between them.

“It is the first time we have seen Drake so competitive,” Olive, a third year and also her roommate in the dormitory, had shared. “He usually does not care for the usual academic competition in the house.”

Ravenclaws, as Marinette had learned from her roommates, were very competitive. Stereotypes talked about their house’s motivation in academic prowess, which Olive laughed at and called them out.

“Not all of us are motivated in the academic fields,” she had snorted. “I, for one, do not. And Maps cares more about cartography and exploring the castle than her studies. However, our grades are far from suffering.”

Olive came to Hogwarts with a scholarship from some philanthropists whose name she did not remember while Maps – a second year and also a roommate whose real name was Mia but to her friends, she was Maps – was one of the brightest students in her year.

“Ravenclaw is the house of wits and learning,” Olive had explained. “Each of us has a hobby or two and we stick to that, and perhaps, in some cases, obsess over it. And that is where we get competitive. We are more than what society paints us as.”

Olive was usually a very calm girl and at times, she was passive. She, however, was also very passionate when she was in a discussion about the care for victims of magical sicknesses and wounds and Marinette had been there when she verbally fenced a sixth year Slytherin in an argument about the efficiency of hospitals in the wizarding world and won.

Maps was a bit air-headed and easily distracted. She was also the one who drew the nearly complete map of the school ground circulating in her detective club, which somehow, including the forbidden forest and some hidden passages no one had known about.

“The only reason why Drake got so competitive with you must be because you have proven yourself to be a challenge in one of his preferred fields,” Olive had commented on the unexpected partnership and rivalry that Marinette gained on her first day. “Which is it then?”

“We only partnered for Potions and sat together in Ancient Runes,” Marinette had protested. “I got lost and he guided me to the first period and we kind of stuck together?”

Marinette was very sure that she was not, in any way, intimidating. She probably the least scary person, according to Kagami and Luka, the last connections she had to Beauxbatons though it was not like they liked the situation there since the last time she heard, Kagami’s mother was considering sending her back to Japan for schooling.

Olive did not look convinced. Though most of the time, that was her default look. Both Maps and her seemed to have seen weirder things, which Marinette had been grateful for because they did not ask much about her transferred.

“Drake has been an excellent student in Potions since his first year at Hogwarts and according to Maps, who is friend with one of his brothers, he specializes in poisons,” Olive informed her. “And he loves Ancient Runes and almost jumped at the chance to take that class earlier in third year, or so I have heard.”

A few words that should not be repeated near sensitive and impressionable ears escaped her lips.

Marinette loved Potions and studied extensively on antidotes – and had brewed many, most of which were strengthening potions and sleeping draughts and had left them near the bed of her classmates’ since her first year at Beauxbatons. And her mother was quite a well-versed reader of runes and had taught her daughter the basics when a young Marinette found a runic book of tales and wished to read it herself thus starting the rumors that Marinette was some kind of genius with runes. Honestly, it was all hard work and her younger self’s stubbornness!

“Well, there are worse people to partner and compete with,” Olive offered. “Drake is possibly one of the better ones to have as an ally and a rival.”

The sound that escaped her throat must be resembling that of a dying whale and she buried her head into the pillow to muffle the groan. Olive gave her a pat on the back.

_Out of the frying pan and into the fire,_ one could say. She left Beauxbatons for some peace and quiet and found herself in a partnership and a rivalry with the same person on the first day at her new school.

* * *

Forming a partnership and a rivalry with the same person seemed almost impossible. Somehow, they made it work and Marinette did not know who she should despair over for making it possible, Drake or herself.

“I won this round,” Drake would shoot her a smug grin whenever his grade surpassed her, which was usually during Ancient Runes seeing as he was a native English speaker while she had to take a moment or two to decide which word to use.

She returned the favor in Potions seeing as they majority of the things they learned in fourth year were antidotes, which gave her an advantage as Drake had more interests in Poisons while Marinette thrived in studying antidotes.

That was just the rivalry part of their relationship, which Maps and Olive thought was amusing. The partnership side came out when one of them was in danger – as in failing a class or being cornered in the hallway.

Marinette loved herbology. One could even say that she had a green thumb with how plants thrived under her care. Tim, however, was a terror when it came to plants. Yes, he could do well with chopping up plants to brew potions but caring for plants? Nope!

“How do you not know how to take care of Mandrake? I thought they covered it in your second year?” Marinette hissed over her book. “Or was it first year? I’m sorry but I’m not sure when you first learned about Mandrakes but I am pretty sure it was prior to fourth year.”

They were hunching over their books, going over the things they had learned in herbology. Drake had casted in a favor, and yes, between themselves, they each owed each other a few favors, saying that he wished for her input about their herbology homework, which ended up with Marinette tutoring him.

“First year,” replied Drake, forehead crinkling as he peered at the half-written essay on Mandrakes. “We had to take care of a pot of Mandrake in the past and I was pretty sure that mine would not survive, seeing as plants do not like me.”

“That poor Mandrake!”

“Oh, hush! It was fine in the end,” Drake growled, glaring toward where the librarian was before those blue eyes turned to her direction. “The lesson is that plants and I mix poorly.”

Yes, Marinette had seen that. Plants in his care did not prosper as they would have under her. _Let’s see if they could change that._

“Well, yeah, that was why we are here,” she had snarked back. “We are hitting the books until you understand how to successfully care for a plant in case we have to take care of one in the future.”

Drake passed the next herbology exam but their weekly study session was still scheduled as usual. They would talk about herbs and Marinette would tell him about those that was native to France while Drake shared about those that grew in the States. His face would screw up when they went through their homework together and Marinette had to wonder how no one had tried to squish his cheeks yet.

Drake was reserved, yes and his attitudes, at times, still drove others up the walls but he was also one of the few people who listened to her rambles about the healing properties of herbs, asking her, politely, to slow down whenever she rushed ahead too fast for him to follow. And really, she knew Drake was far from the most welcoming person but he was a good person, in general and normally he thought first before he acted.

Which was why the scene of him cornered in a deserted hallway after their Potions class stopped her steps.

The voices were barely audible because if they were, they would have an angry professor on their hands. After all, Drake was a favorite of many professors.

“- to say?” She heard one of the aggressors growled when she inched closer. “Your little brother stunned mine and you have nothing to say about that? No apology?”

It was quite a spectacle: three Gryffindors, seeing as they were all wearing red and gold, cornering a Ravenclaw who looked far too calm to be in the face of anger. They were all larger in physique than Drake, which was not really a feat seeing as Drake had always been on the smaller side of the scale.

Marinette had always thought before she jumped. Most of the times, she even overthought. It seemed like this was one of the rare times she did not because she left the security of the shadows.

“Hey!” She had never been intimidating and her voice never managed to emit the menacing growl that Kagami’s was capable of. “As a fellow Ravenclaw, I must say that it is an honor that it takes three of you to face one of ours but why don’t we take this to somewhere more public?”

Gryffindors valued nerves and the daring and if she played this right, which she probably did with the curious stares of the next class coming down to the dungeon, they would have an audience. That would minimize the damage.

“It’s fine. We have already had an audience here.”

The way the words rolled on Drake’s tongue was chilling to say the least. His tie was crooked and his robes wrinkled around where one of the Gryffindor’s hand fisted into the fabric and his black hair was a little bit disordered. His face, however, was a mirror of calmness and his eyes, that had always reminded her of the depths, seemed to darken.

And well, if he wanted to play…

“Is there a problem, misters?” She asked, batting her eyes for the extra effect. Luka had told her she was too adorable for intimidating someone. Then he turned around and showed her how to use her charms to achieve her aims. She found out that batting her eyes made her appearing younger and innocent, which made others lowered their guards.

Let it be say that Gryffindors were no cowards. Any other weak-willed person would buckle under the stares of dozens of eyes but one of the Gryffindors, the one who had a hand fisted in Drake’s robes, stepped forward, dragging Drake with him.

“His brother used a Stupefy on mine,” he announced. “My brother had to spend a night in the infirmary. No apologies have been issued. Drake here refused to take actions.”

"Cowards, all of them!" Called Gryffindor #2. "Thinking they are untouchable!"

"A bastard and his siblings of charity cases!" Gryffindor #3 sneered. "Where would you be if not for your father, Drake?"

These Gryffindors were probably operating on some twisted senses of justice - and with their blood hot like that, they probably were not thinking - but talking down one of her few acquaintances? That would not stand.

"Gentlemen," her voice was too sweet, like butter would not melt in her mouth. "I believe that resorting to name-callings is not something that a student of the honorable house of the lion-hearted should do."

Gryffindor #2 snarled at her, not believing someone of her physical statute would stand up to them. Gryffindor #1 shoved Drake into Gryffindor #3 and he advanced on her.

If anything, Drake's eyes got darker as he drew closer to her.

"What do you suggest, little girl?" was his question, full of disdain and irritation.

Gryffindors sought justice. They did what they believed was right. And she did not know Drake's little brother well enough aside from the fact that he was friends with Maps but something was amiss here.

Either Drake's little brother did stun Gryffindor #1's brother without a reason but that was unlikely considering Maps was a good judge of characters who would not befriend someone who would suddenly turn their wand on an innocent. The truth, perhaps, was more than what these Gryffindors believed to be.

"I will say this once," As always, warning needed to be made so that they knew that she would strike back. "Either we bring this to the professors or we talk, here, in the open, civilly. However, if your reaction is, in any way, aggressive, I will retaliate and hex you to the medical wing, swiftly and without mercy."

Silence. Then laughter.

Marinette stood her ground. How many nights had she wished she had grounded her heels into the ground back at Beauxbatons? How many times did she berated herself for letting others walk on her? She had a new start. She would change.

Gryffindor #1, seemingly over from his laughing fit, leaned in with a sneer. "You think you're so smart?" was a snarl on his lips and the moment he moved, Marinette was prepared.

His hand moved to her collar and her hand struck out, wounding around his wrist and the offending hand was jerked to the side. Her mother would be delighted to know that the martial arts lessons stuck.

Control, once again, was on her side. And judging from the bemused look on Gryffindor #1's face, he did not expect her to catch his wrist.

"You-" The growl trailed off and whatever he had wanted to say vanished as he toppled forward and Marinette squirreled out of the way to let his unconscious body drop to the floor like a bag of flour.

Drake stood between the two out-cold Gryffindors, wand extended.

Was it weird that the rage in his eyes did things to her heart?

"What happened here?!"

Ah, shit...

* * *

News travelled fast, as usual. In a school full of teenagers, it took an hour at best before the entire school, both the student body and the staffs, knew that one Tim Drake stunned three upperclassmen from Gryffindor after one Marinette Dupain-Cheng threatened to hex them.

Marinette had been spared the details of what had transpired between Drake’s little sibling and the brother of one of the Gryffindors that had cornered Drake. The Potions professor had marched her into an empty classroom and told her to wait until they came back while Drake was brought to another room to speak with the heads of the house.

Ten minutes after she had settled down, Maps and Olive strolled in.

“We heard!” Maps clambered to the nearest chair, giggling maniacally. “It’s such a shame that you didn’t get to hex them.”

Oh, vindictive Maps… There was something personal there, was it?

“Don’t give her any ideas,” Olive chided softly though the uplift of her lips was a different story. “Friends don’t encourage behaviors that can get friends into trouble with authoritative figures.”

“There is some personal thing in this, isn’t it?”

Maps and Olive looked at each other, seemingly trading looks until Olive plopped down on another chair. “You tell her,” she said. “You were there.”

Maps, clapping her hands together and fished into her robes to bring out a flashlight. How she snuck a flashlight into the school ground, no one knew. It had not been confiscated yet so there must be no rules against flashlights.

It was nowhere near dark when Maps turned the flashlight on. The dramatic effects, however, was a hundred percent Maps-esque that it brought a grin to her lips.

“Let’s say Damian is a little bit easy to rile up,” Olive snorted at this and Maps backtracked a bit with a sheepish look before rushing ahead. “Ok, maybe not a bit but hey, I heard he was worse in his younger days. Anyway, you know, Gryffindors don’t really get along with Slytherins and well, Damian and I stopped by Jon’s place, oh, Marinette, you might not know him but Jon is like one of Damian’s friends or as he likes to say, _acquaintances_ , and he’s in Gryffindor and that guy saw us and well, let’s say that there is bad blood between them? Or at least between Damian’s big brother, the second eldest, and the guy’s brother, who was stunned by your friend.”

Marinette would not call Drake a friend and she had corrected Maps and Olive when they called him her friend. Olive did not look convince but she did not argue. Maps blinked at her and went _‘You two are so friends that no one is more friends than you guys’_ and _‘The Nile isn’t just a river in Egypt’_ and Marinette just looked at her incredulously and decided that no, she did not want to know what Maps was implying with all of her comments.

“You are rambling,” was the softly reminder from Olive. It was really cute how they cared for each other.

“Ok but like that guy deserved that Stupefy and it was glorious!” Maps would be bouncing on her toes if she was standing. “He insulted Damian and called him names that I would not repeat near Kyle!”

“So this Damian stupefy-ed the younger brother because he insulted him?” So Drake’s brother was hot-headed?

Olive chortled. Marinette did not jump but she nearly did. For months, she had not heard anything more than a little giggle from Olive and then suddenly, she chortled.

Maps, for her part, flushed and flailed around. “Yes? No? I mean, that jerk did throw around some insults but Damian didn’t…” She reached over to deliver a small punch into Olive’s shoulder. “Quit laughing, it’s just nothing!”

“Nothing?” Marinette asked, eyebrow raised. Olive stopped laughing out loud but she still trembled with mirth.

“That jerk turned on me, okay?” Maps threw her hands up in the air. “Then Damian hexed him. The end!”

Well, that brought up some questions. Which they would come back to later. Preferably when they were back in their room. But first things first…

“Such a shame that I didn’t hex them,” was the monotone reply that earned her a good-natured slap on the shoulder from Maps. “A Stupefy seems a bit too easy, don’t you think?”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” was Olive’s reply, accompanying the ‘Olive!’ from Maps and followed by her hissing ‘Friends don’t encourage behaviors that can get friends into trouble with authoritative figures’.

It was a good thing that the head of their house, Professor Macpherson, from what she had remembered, came in the moment she did. A moment earlier or later and they would have entered another conversation about the best way to hex someone, with the someone being a certain Gryffindor.

“This stemmed from the miscommunication between brothers with the younger one failing to mention that he approached Mister Wayne and Miss Mizoguchi first and seeing as Miss Dupain-Cheng neither raised a wand nor threw a punch, I see no point of taking away points from Ravenclaw,” the professor said as she ushered them out of the room. “But as Miss Dupain-Cheng stepped in with the intention of helping a housemate in trouble, she earned five points for her action.”

Drake was waiting outside beside a blonde in Gryffindor’s colors and a boy in Slytherin’s colors who Marinette remembered seeing a few times with Maps. Olive traded a tense greeting with the boy but Maps attached herself to his side, babbling cheerfully, which earned her a scowl but since he made no move to pry her off, Marinette left them be.

“Please do take care not to get into any more trouble,” reminded the professor before she took her leave. “I swear; my hair is turning gray from worry.”

Maps giggled and gave her an enthusiastic wave, which was returned. Olive’s wave was a bit subdue but still appreciated with the soft tug at the professor’s lips.

* * *

Drake's friend was a Gryffindor named Stephanie though many, particularly her friends and family, shortened it into Steph, which she gave Marinette permission to use. When Drake's back was turned, she leaned in and whispered a 'Good job!' followed by a thumb up and she danced away the moment Drake turned around.

It was like some video game where you unlocked a character's backstory after achieving a certain level or something. Steph was the first and after her came Drake's little brother.

Wayne was the polar opposite of Maps. She was sunshine and he was, what? Stormy? Maps seemed to soften his edges and he even followed her on many of her adventures. Marinette would know. She heard Maps planned those.

"You have my gratitude," was his first words to her. Marinette did see where Maps was coming from when she said Wayne did not make friends easily.

"Maps' friends are also mine," she said. "And really, I need to beat your brother in Ancient Runes."

"I appreciate the thought," he nodded. "May you render your enemies to the ground."

Marinette arched an eyebrow because, on one hand, that was a bit vicious but who was she to judge? On the other hand, she was pretty sure one of the enemies in the question was Wayne's brother.

Drake shrugged and continued his conversation with Steph.

And well, it was not like Marinette had anything against the blonde. It was just that ever since they met, Steph kept inserting herself into their study sessions and she kept shooting her amused looks like she knew something Marinette did not.

And it was not polite to ask why Steph kept showing up at their sessions, uninvited - she knew because Drake grumbled and Marinette never invited the blonde. But Steph came with a critical eye for fashion and Marinette had always been a designer at heart.

Steph was a good person. She had a good heart, a bit too mischievous sometimes. 

"I have a feeling that you have things you would like to say to me," Steph said over tea, eyes crinkling with mirth. "Care to share with the class?"

If there was anything Marinette had learned, was that honesty sometimes worked better than obscurity. And well, Steph did not look like someone who was easily offended.

"Well, you see," she busied herself with picking at her sleeves. "It's just that you know, study sessions are usually just, you know..."

The smirk on Steph's face was almost smug. She nodded, like a _go on_ gesture.

"It's just, you know," Marinette was sure that her face was beet red. How to politely tell someone that they wanted to have some private time with their partner-slash-rival? "It's usually just two people?"

The trembles of mirth rocked her whole body and Steph curled up into a ball of laughter.

"Don't laugh! I'm trying to be serious here!"

It took a while but Steph came down from her fit of laughter. "You are just so precious," she giggled, wiping back a tear. "But yeah, I know what you're trying to say."

"You do?" Hm, that was surprising?

"Look," Steph started, twirling a lock of hair. It was an action that talked of anxiety. It seemed like they were both afraid of the other's reaction. "Tim and I, we went far back. Dated a while on our first year but there was only that."

Okay? This was new?

Taking a deep breath, Steph turned those blue eyes on her. "Sometimes, it's best to just be friends," she said and the honesty in her gaze was so intense that Marinette found herself scrambling for words.

"You love him still?" was what came out of her mouth and Marinette nearly got whiplash because _what the hell?_ Where was the filter just moments ago?

Steph laughed, choked and relieved at the same time. "Yes, I do," she admitted. "Just not in the way you are thinking of."

_What?_ She would _love_ some answers but Steph forged on like the daring Gryffindor that she was.

"We love each other," the blonde said and _oh_ , her heart did some unpleasant things. Why, dear heart? "We fight side-by-side, back-to-back. I think if soulmates are real, he and I would be platonic ones."

Oh. _Oh._

"I'm not going to compete against you or anything. I just like to tag along for the entertainment."

Wait, _what?_

"Entertainment?" Marinette's voice must have reached a new height because Steph even winced and shied away. "Like entertainment as in films? Movies? That kind of entertainment?"

"More like soap operas but yeah. Like that."

Ha ha ha... _Nope._

"We are _not_ a soap opera."

"And the Nile is just a river in Egypt."

Why did she have friends again? Olive claimed that friends did not encourage behaviours that could land friends into trouble with authoritative figures. Maps said the same thing except she added the ‘ _alone’_ at the end and muttered that they would not be in trouble if no one caught them.

Steph seemed to be someone who would adhere to Maps' ideology and came with a twenty-step-plan for a body-not-fitting-the-car-trunk problem. That was unless she was late to defend the honor of those she cared for and someone else had gotten their hands on the offender.

Then she would probably turn the other cheek. Which was nice, to know that she could count on them on things like that.

But in daily life? They were still little shits.

* * *

Drake had a sister. He had a sister who was the same age as him but they were not twins. And since adoption was still a thing - also because they were both adopted - and the fact that Drake's family was too big and wide-spread to keep track, or at least that was what Steph had said, Marinette would not be surprised if he just announced that he had a long lost twin or something like that.

"She's a keeper for Hufflepuff," Drake had shared during one beautiful noon. "This is her first time playing for her house."

She quirked an eyebrow because there were more Drake would like to say but since he was quite slow when it came to feelings - Steph had warned her - he had to take some time to piece his thoughts together, which Marinette understood to a certain degree seeing as she usually lost her tongue when anxiety coursed through her veins.

From what she had learned from his earlier babblings and Steph's off-handed comment about his various siblings, this sister of his was a person with strength. Steph talked about her fondly and Drake believed wholeheartedly in her.

And believe it or not, Marinette kept an ear open for his siblings. After all, a little concern for her partner-slash-rival could prove to be good in the long run.

Of course, it might also be because of her fondness for Wayne who had been so sweet to Maps. Olive swore up and down that she could get cavities from watching them and Marinette had to agree.

"Do you, like, do commissions?" was what finally came out of his mouth and he rushed ahead almost immediately. "I mean, I know Steph said that you would love too and yes, I know you design but I'm not sure you like, do commissions? I mean if you don't then that's cool but if you do, can I, like commission something?"

Well, there went her heart with that weird, floaty sensation. It was almost painful to keep the smile off her face because, wow, so precious.

"It has been a while but yes, I do take commissions."

And the sight of those eyes lighting up was more than she could describe. Like watching the stars painted stories across the skies. Like dawn dyeing the sea in shades of pink and red as darkness parted for the sun. Like waking up from an endless fog to the first ray of the sun.

_Oh._ She might be in trouble.

It was just a simple friendly match between Hufflepuffs. _Only to gauge the newbies’ abilities,_ Drake had said. _And seeing as we are only there to cheer for Cass, they won’t give us much grief._

Drake's sister loved the banner, in the colors of her house with a tiny Cassandra riding a broomstick, cladded in her quidditch gears. Marinette had placed quite some charms on it so that little Cassandra moved around and jumped in celebration when the fireworks went off. It was worth it to see her eyes lit up with joy.

_That is why I design,_ Marinette had told herself. _It has been quite some time since I last saw that look._

That look of wonder, of immense joy at the thought of receiving a gift was the thing that spurred her dreams of becoming a designer. She wished for that look to grace more eyes, for that wonder to take root in more places and for joy to light up more faces.

_Thank you,_ she signed, lips curling up in a smile.

_Thank you,_ was Marinette's reply and it was worth it to see her eyes lit up, if not brighter.

She had spent days and nights reading on sign languages, especially ASL as Drake mentioned that his sister had trouble with traditional ways of communication and her preferred method was via ASL. Therefore, he had commissioned a banner that could perfectly show their encouragement that even the most dim-witted would be able to discern.

"Can you do it?" He had asked, eyes piercing and not for the first time, her heart performed some weird somersaults in her chest. Just _why?_

Marinette had buried herself in reading about the basics of ASL as well as the etiquettes and she might be a Ravenclaw but she was also mortal. Between studies and researches and designing, she could only remember the most basics of ASL.

She could ask Drake but that stubborn part of her just wanted to try to learn it herself first and when she realized she was flailing, well, time was nearly out.

And this was something personal that she wanted to tell her customer: thank you. For that wonder, for that joy, for that happiness that reminded her of the little beautiful things that were usually overshadowed and for the chance to be able to bring the light to one's eyes.

The wide eyes and the happiness in those dark eyes made up from the late nights and the tears of frustration and the sleep debt that she would someday reclaim, and hopefully, that day was near.

"Thank you."

A brush on her shoulder, a whisper in her ear and when she turned around, Drake had disappeared into the crowd of students. Nevertheless, she could imagine the sparkles in the depths of his eyes.

Just!? 

Why?!

She did not ask for this?!

_It will be fine,_ she told herself, taking deep breath to bring her speeding heart back to normal. _It will be fine._

The words repeated in her head, like a mantra. Because Marinette knew the pain of a love shattered before her very eyes. But what could she do?

Love came without any prompts. The best she could do was to hang on tight and hope that her heart would survive.

* * *

The banner that Drake commissioned was well-received. The captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team came to Ravenclaw tower personally to commission another banner for their team and to no one’s surprise, he was also a brother of Drake.

Apparently, quidditch was a big deal seeing as the captain of their team, one Roy Harper who had so casually blew up a cauldron in Potions just days ago, had taken a look at the visiting Hufflepuff and growled. Seeing as the championship of the inter-house cup brought back quite a handful of points and finals were approaching as well, Marinette could understand the tension.

“I only design,” she had cautioned him beforehand. “I do not sell information nor do I care for whatever grievances you have for the Ravenclaw quidditch team.”

The quidditch matches were always the same every year and they had never been changed. Ravenclaw’s first opponent was always Hufflepuff while Gryffindor and Slytherin clashed in one of their epic fights, according to Maps. Many believed that winning the first match might lead to a successful tournament thus everyone who was involved in quidditch became very competitive when the first match of the inter-house cup neared.

“Well, I am only here to commission you,” Grayson had said. “I heard from Tim that he paid seventeen galleons for the banner he commissioned for Cass.”

Ah, that. They had quite a disagreement about payment. It costed her five galleons for the materials and another two more for the deliveries of materials and the food for the poor owls. She had originally charged ten galleons but Drake wanted her to triple the price.

_Ten galleons aren’t enough for a banner like this,_ he had argued. _I am willing to pay you triple. All of these craftsmanship and the enchantments costed and so did the time you put into this._

_Isn’t that gouging?_ She had asked because hey, it was a legitimated concern.

_Listen,_ he had held up a hand. _You deserve better than being underpaid. And no, don’t give me that look. Ten galleons for an enchanted banner is underpaid._

It was quite a spectacle with even the perfects coming out to see why, which was understandable seeing as they were shouting in the middle of the hallway of the boy’s dormitory. For once, Maps was not on her side. Even Olive had tentatively agreed with Drake even though her relationship with him and the rest of his siblings was strained at best, or at least, that was what Maps had said with a fond shake of her head.

They ended up at seventeen galleons and no matter how they pushed, they could never agree on an alternative.

“Yeah,” she nodded because why denied when it was true. “Though if you think that is too much, I can lower the price?”

Grayson quirked an eyebrow in disbelief? Or was it disappointment?

“I was about to offer to double the payment,” he said, leaning forward and hey, his eyes were also blue. A different shade from Drake’s and a hint of mischievous earnest in them? Like he was planning something but somehow pleased by whatever he found?

“You are kidding, right?”

Grayson laughed and reached out and for a moment, she thought he was about to pat her head. Then he jerked back with an apology on his tongue.

“Sorry, you were just too cute,” he explained. “Anyway, I’m no jester. I’m looking for a banner for Hufflepuff’s match against Ravenclaw and I’m willing to pay you double for the material costs and whatever grievances Roy might give you in the future.”

They badgered back and forth and they stopped at twenty galleons. Grayson insisted on it. He would not let her lower the price any more than that.

"For your hard work," he had said. "And compensation in case Roy decides to be a jerk."

Roy Harper, contrary to what Grayson had expected, did not had any grievances. He, however, sat her down in the common room and started to ask after her works, which somehow led to him commissioning a banner for the Ravenclaw quidditch team.

“I have no desire to end up in the middle of whatever pissing contest you have,” was Marinette’s deadpanned reply. “I’m not sure that I should say this but I think that you are doing this just to one-up on Grayson and honestly, I am worried for your wallets.”

“We aren’t having a pissing contests,” was the reply but he did not deny trying to one-up on Grayson. “But look on the bright side, you will have another customer, who might play a part in getting your name out there.”

His logic was sound. And there was nothing she could do to argue against that. Technically, he was right about her getting her name out. Hogwarts was a new territory and she needed as many supports as she could.

But could she juggle two projects? It was not as if she had not before. She had handled more than two at the same time but that had been back at Beauxbatons. And most of them had been for her friends, who, sadly, turned their back on her but hey, it was quite a lesson on the balance in the take-and-give in relationships.

She could juggle both of them. Two projects sounded daunting but if she managed her time, she could do it. And this time, she was doing it for herself. And if she did this right, it would bring her more coverage.

“You know what? You’re right. Let’s go over the details.”

* * *

When she brought her work to their shared study sessions, Drake had no issues with it. In fact, he did not even bat an eyelash and continued on his homework without a comment.

Sometimes, she would catch him staring with this weird expression. His face would wrinkle like he was studying a complex puzzle and seeing as Marinette had seen how he was when solving problems, all grumpy and face screwed up in annoyance, she could say that there was something different in the two expressions. His eyes were always so sharp when they came across puzzles and problems, a miniature snow storm brewing while the eyes that found themselves on her were softer, like a resting sea in a sunny summer day. And she had doubted herself sometimes but the quirk of his lips was not something that her mind came up. She had seen it too often for it to be a hallucination of some sort.

“You have been looking at me,” she had broached the subject tentatively because really, how did one even bring up the fact that their partner-slash-rival had been staring at them with what Steph dubbed as a dopey look. “It’s not like it makes me uncomfortable since you know, that look on your face was really cute but, you know, it’s weird? Not in the bad way but in the good way? Like I don’t know why you do that but I would like to know so I could, like, do it again to… see it…”

Marinette had thought about it. She had reviewed the unclear and downright complicated relationship between Drake and herself. 

Yes, they were competitive and the whole school probably knew it. Yes, they were also very protective of each other and Maps had a list of people Drake and her had screwed over - via hexes or pranks - for the other's sake.

Drake came to her for herbology and she came to him for arithmancy. Though most of the time, they did homework together and discussed about various subjects, including but not limited to, whether eating a product made from Mandrake cannibalism or not.

And Marinette enjoyed their time together.

Drake was a welcoming presence in her daily life and she had thought about how different her life would be if she had not ran into Drake. And if she really thought about it, this weird relationship between them had been one of the reasons why she did not look back on her life in Beauxbatons.

Somehow, their very-friendly-rivalry kept her grounded. He just set off some competitive urges in her bones and Marinette, for once, pounced before she looked and when she could fully process things, her pride would not allow her to admit defeat.

And Drake, while still being her rival, was ridiculously honorable. He could manipulate whoever he wanted or pull whatever string but when it came to their rivalry? Drake did not hit below the belt.

It did not help that he was incredibly polite and that snarky part of his was so entertaining. Who knew the formal genius would actually have such a way with words.

And Marinette? She wanted to see more. She wished to explore the different sides of Drake. She found herself thinking of the gentle curl of his lips and wondering how to make it grace his admittedly adorable face again.

And when Drake lit up at the thought of his sister? When he was so precious in his near hero-worship of Cain?

Marinette realized what her heart had been doing.

Then she caught his staring and that weirdly concentrate look on his face that Steph called dopey?

Well, what do you know? Maybe things will work out.

And she might not be wrong with the sudden flush that overtook his features. 

His shoulders hunched and he was trying to disappear into his big scarf, almost drowning in all the fabric. How could one look at him and not feel their heart flutter?

Because Marinette's was. Repeatedly. With no intention of stopping soon.

"I... What?" Came to high pitched squeak and somehow, no one shushed Drake for the sheer height of that octave. "Are you asking me out?"

Oh, so he might be one of those who preferred the more direct approach. Which made senses seeing as Drake was highly paranoid. Anything suspicious would only made him anxious and fidgety.

"I am informing you of my romantic attraction to you," was her answer because hey, if Drake preferred direct approach, she would be happy to oblige. "And you don't have to have an answer right now. Take some time to think if you want."

Drake made that noise again and he turned even redder and _oh,_ that was a lovely shade. And really, how could one look at him and think he was threatening? Whoever thought they could just shove this little ball of fluff up a wall would do well to catch her hands.

"So, raincheck?" She offered, seeing as Drake did not seem like he would be able to respond verbally anytime soon. And as he was slow on feelings as Steph had said, a way out would do well for his nerves, as well as hers.

Drake surprised her, as always.

"Uhm, no?" was the first coherent words from his mouth. "Like you can't just confess and then offer a raincheck."

"Well, you looked like you needed time to think?"

"Because I was trying to think of how to say yes! Like I don't even know when this start but I am pretty sure that the feeling is mutual. Like everything was just fine and then I saw you lighting up when you were with Cass and then it’s just like I’m, you know, in the twilight zone.”

Oh. _Oh..._

Usually, this was when they went in for the kiss. Or at least that was what films showed. There would be lots of tears and smiles and embraces and just emotions running high. Except, that was not what happened.

“So, like we’re dating now?”

“Yeah but only if you want to.”

“Well, I think I want to seeing as I just told you that this romantic attraction you just admitted to was mutual.”

“So do you want to walk back to the tower together?”

“Kay. Can we add holding hands into that?”

It only hit her after they parted in the common room, with a squeeze of the hand because none of them were that big on PDA, that they partially lived in the same tower and had already been walking back together since their first study session.

She screamed into the pillow in mortification because her filter had not been working at that time and _‘It haven’t even been a day!’_ Olive gave her pats on the back accompanying with the _‘On the bright side, his impression of you can’t go any lower?’_ from Maps.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok but like I used to read Harry Potter back a few years ago and let's say that I have notes about a Hogwarts AU for most of the fandom I'm in? Maribat just happened to be the one I have more detailed notes.
> 
> And I love Gotham Academy! The art is really, really cute and I love reading about the shenanigans the Detective club gets into. Maps is just so upbeat and chaotic and writing her makes me happy.
> 
> At first, my notes on this was kinda neutral? Without any pairings or ships. Then somehow I thought Timinette/Timari was neat and cute. And it ended in this.
> 
> The original version of this fic had the part with the Quidditch matches and all but then I didn't think I could like continue since 8k words were a lot and was kinda like pushing my limits? (My usual limits were around 3-4k words at most)
> 
> As for houses, I had quite a difficult time since characters are multi-faceted but I hope that I did ok. Putting Marinette in a house was kinda the hardest thing? But here's a list (for those who appeared in the fic):
> 
>   * Marinette - Ravenclaw, 4th year 
>   * Tim - Ravenclaw, 4th year 
>   * Olive - Ravenclaw, 3rd year 
>   * Maps - Ravenclaw, 2nd year 
>   * Roy - Ravenclaw, 7th year 
>   * Damian - Slytherin, 2nd year 
>   * Steph - Gryffindor, 4th year 
>   * Jason (mentioned) - Gryffindor, 5th year 
>   * Jon (mentioned) - Gryffindor, 2nd year 
>   * Cass - Hufflepuff, 4th year 
>   * Richard - Hufflepuff, 7th year 
> 

> 
> P.S. I got sorted into Gryffindor on Pottermore and the wand was laurel and dragon-heartstring and got a robin for a patronus (I still don't know how that worked). I was Horned Serphent on Pottermore but I think the new site doesn't have the Ilvermorny sorting?
> 
> P.P.S. Happy reading!


End file.
